MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Senate Health Committee has passed HB156, the bill that adds an exception to the state veterinary code allowing a nonprofit clinic to operate without the ownership of a licensed veterinarian.

If the full senate passes the bill, low-cost spay/neuter clinics will be protected from closure. Last year, a low-cost clinic in north Alabama was closed by the state Veterinary Medical Examiners Board because it was not owned by a veterinarian. The board also attempted to close Alabama Spay/Neuter in Irondale but was unsuccessful because it is owned by a Birmingham vet.

The bill was approved in the house earlier in the current legislative session. If the senate passes it, the bill will be ready for the governor's signature.